Emanuel Sharp Leads Houston To Commanding Win Over Florida State
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Houston Cougars basketball defeated the Florida State Seminoles 82-67 at the Houston Hoops Showdown, on Saturday night at the Toyota Center in Houston.
Senior guard Emanuel Sharp stepped up under the bright lights of the packed arena, scoring a season-high 27 points to lead the Cougars to a win against the Seminoles.
Houston’s next game will be against Jackson State on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m., inside the Fertitta Center, in Houston, Texas.
Houston vs Florida State Recap
One of the team’s main goals going into this game was to be more connected on defense, and show the toughness and grit that Houston basketball is all about.
It’s safe to say that Houston took a step in the right direction to playing its brand of basketball on Saturday night.
Houston forced 19 Florida State turnovers, which led to 18 points. They also controlled the paint by scoring 34 points down low.
Sharp is one of the players that head coach Kelvin Sampson needs to be elite on both sides of the ball, and tonight he did just that.
The veteran guard finished the night with 27 points, three assists and a steal, while shooting 50 percent from downtown.
Houston’s other leader of the backcourt, senior guard Milos Uzan, struggled once again shooting the ball early on in the game.
He was 0-for-7 from the field with under seven minutes remaining in the contest. However, he helped close out the game for Houston making a jump shot and a three-pointer on back-to-back possessions.
Uzan finished with seven points, eight assists and two steals.
The Cougars’ freshmen continue to show out, even on the biggest stages. Freshman guard Kingston Flemings shined, scoring a very efficient 21 points. He finished 8-for-13 from the field, and he three of his four three-point jumpers.
Freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr. also had one of his best offensive nights, finishing with a double-double, including 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Houston’s lack of offensive paint present from junior forward Joseph Tugler and senior forward Kalifa Sakho continues to be an area of concern.
Tugler was expected to take on a much larger role on the offensive end this season with the loss of former forward J’Wan Roberts.
That plan hasn't quite come to fruition so far this season, as Tugler only averaged eight points on the season.
Tonight, he finished the game with six points. He does continue to excel on the defensive end, finishing the night with three steals and a block.
This game was a good test for Houston, and the team as a whole has shown much improvement since the first game.
Ashton Grissom is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a senior at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Media Production with a minor in Marketing and Spanish. He also works for two student organizations: The Cougar and CoogTV. You can find Grissom on his Instagram (@ashtonagrissom8) or Twitter (@ashtongrissom8).